The 8 Best Hotels in India of 2025

Travel + Leisure

08-07-2025

This year's top hotels in India, as voted by Travel + Leisure readers, exemplify the extravagant aesthetics and luxurious service that make the country's hospitality industry one of the best in the world. Readers clearly have no problem picking favorites, with the top properties located mostly in major travel destinations like Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Agra. They're also partial to homegrown brands: All of this year's winners are part of either Taj Hotels, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, or The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, all founded in India. Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe—to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 180,000 T+L readers completed the 2025 survey. A total of more than 657,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.). Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, inn, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below: Rooms/facilities Location Service Food Value For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
The luxurious Kohinoor Suite at The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this year's reader-favorite city hotels in India are split between the country's two most populous cities, Delhi and Mumbai. Taj Lands End, Mumbai (No. 2) is the perfect high-end option for business travelers, with many spaces for meetings and events—a natural fit for Mumbai, known as India's financial capital. But it's really the prime location on the edge of the Arabian Sea, next to Bandra Fort, that stood out. The winners in the capital include the stately The Leela Palace New Delhi (No. 3) on the edge of Chanakyapuri, the city's diplomatic enclave. Travelers raved about the friendly atmosphere—'the staff became extended family by the end of our stay,' wrote one reader—but it's also well-loved by locals. 'My family and I love going to the hotel for staycations, or even just for the excellent brunches,' another survey respondent wrote.
Taj Mahal, New Delhi Classic meets contemporary at Captain's Cellar at the Taj Mahal, New Delhi.
This 213-key hotel has become an icon in the capital in the nearly 50 years since it opened at 1 Mansingh Road. The property completed a major renovation in late 2023, which likely propelled it to making its first appearance on the list of India's best city hotels in 2024. And now, the Taj Mahal, New Delhi, has risen to the top. T+L readers especially loved its proximity to historic sites like the National Museum and Humayun's Tomb. In fact, one survey respondent wrote that the hotel has 'one of the best locations in Delhi,' also praising its 'amazing food, nice garden, and excellent service, as per the Taj standard.'
1. Taj Mahal, New Delhi
Reader Score: 98.59
2. Taj Lands End, Mumbai
Reader Score: 97.93
3. The Leela Palace New Delhi
Reader Score: 97.40
Four of this year's top five resorts in India come from a single brand: The Oberoi Group. And four are located in the storied state of Rajasthan—including one in Jaipur, the capital, and two in Udaipur, sometimes referred to as India's 'city of lakes.' One of the Udaipur properties, Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur (No. 5), is even found among a lake—set on a small island within Lake Pichola and reached by private boat. 'The location is really like heaven,' wrote one survey respondent; another said their 'ridiculously high expectations were completely exceeded.'
But one of the Rajasthani winners is unlike the others: The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthambhore (No. 3), just outside Ranthambore National Park, is a sanctuary for the endangered Bengal tiger. The tented camp is a great home base for wildlife-spotting and visiting sites like the UNESCO-protected Ranthambore Fort, but with luxury comforts like clawfoot tubs and, in some rooms, private plunge pools.
The No. 1-favorite is also an Oberoi property, but it's located in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh—and is just a 10-minute walk from one of the country's most famous sites, the Taj Mahal.
The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra A glimpse into The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra's Deluxe Suite.
Some of the 95 rooms and seven suites at this palatial resort have views of the Taj Mahal: Agra's most famous attraction, which is also subtly referenced in the hotel's design. Readers were captivated by the property's 'beautiful architecture with great Mughal-era vibes,' as one survey respondent put it, referring to the domes, arches, fountains, and pristine gardens. But looks are just one of the reasons why the Oberoi Amarvilas came in at No. 1 for 2025, its first year in the top spot since 2018. For example, readers also loved the 'perfect location'—less than half a mile from Emperor Shah Jahan's famous tomb, builtd for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
1. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 98.87
2. The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur
Reader Score: 98.06
3. The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthambhore
Reader Score: 97.68
4. The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Reader Score: 97.36
5. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur Reader Score: 95.56